Most wireless network service providers offer a high percentage of network coverage to their customers. This often means, depending on the size of the country, that wireless network service providers deploy in access of 10,000 transmitters in order to provide a high quality service to their customers. Often, higher network coverage is provided within highly populated areas with the poorest network coverage falling within less populated rural areas.
In order to inform customers of the geographical locations of the best network coverage, wireless network service providers often provide their customers with a map illustrating areas of high quality coverage, variable coverage or no coverage at all. Often, a coverage map does not provide the level of detail required by a customer. For example, when using a mobile phone in an area of variable quality network coverage, the map provides a vague indication of where the nearest area of high quality coverage may be found. For example, the map may indicate that an area of high quality coverage is located near the area of variable quality coverage. Therefore, a customer is unsure whether they have to drive 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes, or indeed in which direction to travel, in order to find improved quality signal strength in order to make a phone call or to access the Internet.
A further problem arises due to some wireless network service providers transmitting signals at a high frequency, which causes the signal to be blocked by walls in certain types of buildings. Part of the problem is caused by many modern office buildings using metal studs rather than wood fixings to construct partition walls or using metallic filing cabinets which greatly reduce signal strength because of their absorption characteristics. Further, at high signal frequencies some wall covering's absorption and reflection characteristics also become contributory factors in variable signal strength.
With so many variables, assessing network coverage is a complicated task. Some service providers perform cursory testing by walking around a location with a handset operating in test mode, identifying the areas of signal strength. The above problems have led to consumers walking aimlessly around their office buildings or homes etc., trying to locate a carrier signal on their communication devices.
Therefore this is a need for a solution to this problem, which provides a method for determining the location of an improved carrier signal relative to the position of a communication device and displaying the direction of the improved carrier signal on a display means of the communication device.